Now, let’s expand that list and look at a number of other factors in making the right decision for your church/ministry:

Hit by a truck: What would happen to all of your data, plans, procedures, systems, process, etc if the key facility person at the church was (heaven forbid) hit by a truck? Would you lose all of the data that is squirreled away in their head? Would you find yourself starting from scratch? What things might go undone or undetected until something major broke-down? Would you know where all of the files were stored and what vendors had contracts with the church or what promises had been made? I have met dozens of great facility managers. They know their facilities like the back of their hands and they are invaluable to their church. But…what if suddenly they were gone? Would you be prepared?

Long Term Capital Improvement Planning: We have been pretty surprised by how many churches do not have an active “sinking fund” or some form of capital reserve process. When we ask them about their planning process for major capital expenses (i.e. replacing flooring, replacing HVAC equipment, resurfacing parking, etc), the oh too common answer is…”we wait until it breaks and then replace it.”OUCH…that does not sound like planning! It is funny that we generally do a tremendous job when we plan for a building expansion or new construction project. We set aside money in a building fund…evaluate the costs…and plan accordingly. However, we find it more common than not that this level of proactive planning dies when a church moves into the building. Having a proactive means to project and plan for future capital expenditures is a key factor in using facility management software.

“Trying to keep all of this in your head or on a legal pad will only increase the stock value for Advil.”

Prioritize work: Does the “urgent” take precedence over the important? Does that last e-mail or call take you off task? Ever walk into the office and know you have a million things to to…but don’t know where to start? Do you feel like you have a mountain of work…e-mail or projects or emergencies? Well…you are not alone. Frankly, I feel exactly like that as I am typing this. I have a fence to repair, bills to pay, accounting to update, and so much more. Well…the use of a software solution can be a tremendous asset to staying on point and keep work prioritized. If it was not for Outlook, I would forget where I am to be, everyone’s phone numbers and even when to take certain meds (I know…I am a mess). If it was not for my PipeDrive account, I would not be able to stay on task with the people I need to follow up with or to get a proposal. Facility management software can do the same thing for your facility team. It can set the priority of the work, set an ETA for the work to be complete and send e-mail alerts and reminders. Trying to keep all of this in your head or on a legal pad will only increase the stock value for Advil.

Manage Vendors: Who is approved to work on your site? How do you track their names, addresses, e-mails, phone numbers, etc? How do you dispatch work to the vendors? Fax? Phone? Smoke signals? Most good facility management software solutions will, at the very least, provide a section to list all of the pertinent data about your vendors and subs. This is a necessity. The better systems will also provide a means for assigning work orders to vendors and dispatch the work orders via an automated system through e-mail, text messages or some similar method. We believe that these tools are vital to the success of your work flow and will save you a great deal of time and frustration in the future.

Well…that is it for this time…there are several more factors that need to be discussed…but they will have to wait until our next post.

By the way…if you have not already downloaded your free copy of our HVAC eBook…you can do so HERE.